Last summer’s temperatures hit 48 degrees, so with the weather heating up, Abu Dhabi Week spoke to some experts to find out the best ways to keep your cool
Where to go
The obvious choices for keeping cool are the pools and beaches around the emirate. One of our favourite beaches is the Monte-Carlo Beach Club on Saadiyat, to laze about and cool off in the waves – it’s worth trying their fresh mocktails, try the Turtle’s Paradise while lying in one of the gazebos. Traders Hotel has a beach, which offers sprawling water views and greenery reminiscent of a tropical haven. Don’t worry if you aren’t a member, both beaches have day passes available.
For the cost-conscious, the beaches run by Bake are a fun alternative. The Corniche beach offers entry for AED 10 for adults and AED 5 for children under 12. Why not rent a banana lounge and sprawl out under one of the beach-umbrellas? If the Corniche is a little too crowded for you, try Al Bateen’s Bake beach.
If there isn’t a beach handy, our favourite hotel pools also give day-passes. Visit the Yas Viceroy or Jumeirah at Etihad Towers for a cool dip; not only will you feel fresh, but you can enjoy the beautiful views and landscaping. Aloft Abu Dhabi offers a free soft-drink with the entry fee to the attractive splash pool, otherwise, if the children need some entertainment, Al Raha Beach Hotel has a kiddie water-play park to keep the children happy while you relax.
Socialising can get tedious when you feel like you’re melting, which is why Aloft has monthly rain parties. Dance in the rain, it’s a cool way to mingle at this char-grilling time of year. Al Maya Island Resort also has pools and parties to while the weekends away – think foam.
What to eat
Being in the summer heat can make you feel faint, sweaty or ill. It is important of course, to keep your fluids up – we asked nutritionist and well-being specialist Laura Holland to give us some tips.
What foods can help keep us cooler in summer?
The best foods to keep cool are light foods that are easy to digest; green foods are an excellent choice for cooling the body, think avocados, celery, cucumber and leafy greens.
What foods should we avoid?
Spicy hot foods are best avoided but so are frozen and chilled foods. Often people think that iced and frozen foods will cool you down but this puts excess stress on your body as it tries desperately to regulate your body temperature through these extremes of heat on the outside and these ice cold foods. Cool, room temperature and warm foods are the best; the midway is safest here!
Obviously drinking water is important – do you have any tips for helping consume water?
The most hydrating fluid you can drink is coconut water, mother nature’s sports drink. It is very high in electrolytes and minerals, meaning that it replenishes what the body loses during times of extreme heat.
The best way to consume water is at room temperature and it is much better if you sip throughout the day rather than taking lots at one time, as this can overwhelm your digestion and make you feel bloated.
What should we do if we are feeling faint?
If you are feeling faint this is an indication that you are not only dehydrated but quite possibly low in salts, minerals and sugar. In this case try drinking coconut water, vegetable juices, natural fruits juices without sugar and smoothies to help replenish your mineral stores.
In the UAE, we go from extreme heat to intense cool in AC, is there anything we can do to help our bodies cope with this?
This is stressful on your body, but you can help by reducing your exposure to extremes by making sure you don’t repeat this pattern of extreme hot and cold in your food and drinks. Instead avoid frozen and spicy foods and try to keep your meals well balanced so you are not replicating this pattern on the inside too.
What to wear
It’s hard to know what to wear sometimes; you feel like walking around in your delicates but have to go to work! We spoke to fashion expert Dawn Williamson to give us some ideas on how to cope with the heat in a stylish fashion.
It can be challenging when it’s hot to keep covered, how can we get around this?
Loose fitting but tailored clothes are the best bet, fabrics and shapes that skim the body without clinging. Maxi dresses are also a great way to keep covered and stay cool at the same time.
What should we avoid in the hot months?
Quality fabrics are a must at anytime of the year, avoid synthetics and opt for cottons, silk blends and lightweight denim. Avoid dark colours and black as these retain the heat, lighter shades and pastels work best for men and women.
Do you have any suggestions for those working in corporate attire to stay cool and look professional?
Layering is the best way to dress for work, allowing you to take off layers while travelling to work and put them on when in the icy air conditioning. For women, modify your work wardrobe slightly to incorporate a smart lightweight summer dress, mid length with 3/4 length sleeves, pair with some nude low heels and this will be the perfect alternative to the suit. For men dispense with the blazer and experiment with shirts in an array of colours, keep them tailored in quality cotton.
Do you have any other recommendations of fashion for summer survival?
Always take a pair of flats in your bag, walking in heels on lunch breaks and after work makes everything harder. Buy a lightweight oversized bag for summer so you can carry summer survival items everywhere (as a stylist I carry these items pretty much on a daily basis) wet wipes, fragrance, hair bands and pins, pashmina wrap, sunglasses. Summer is also a great time for statement jewellery in tribal styles, bold colours and lots of white and gold.
Keeping Fit
Don’t let yourself get unfit just because it’s 45 degrees! We spoke to the head of group fitness at Abu Dhabi Country Club, Paula Teasdale about how to stay motivated.
It can be challenging to keep yourself exercising in this heat, how can we make sure we are staying fit?
Schedule your workouts into your daily diary so it becomes part of your working day. Always carry exercise gear in your car or at work so you are always ready to go. Decide if going before or after work suits you better and stick to your plan. For me a great motivation is knowing, that while I am in Abu Dhabi working out during the summer months I will not have to face the hard reality of returning after the summer having done no exercise and having eaten whatever I wanted. A lot of people spend the whole year trying to lose the weight they gained during their summer holiday. Don’t let that be you.
Gyms have special summer deals for the quieter months. Take advantage of these. Take advantage of the quieter times to maybe try new classes or book a personal trainer.
What should you do if you prefer to exercise outside?
Plan your activity either early in the morning or very late at night when it is cooler and less humid. Include water sports, which will cool you down at the same time. This could include swimming, kayaking or even paddle boarding. Walking/jogging outside is a great way to stay active but go before work or late at night before sleeping. Luckily for us here at ADCC we have indoor swimming pools too so if swimming is your sport you are able to use either inside or outside pools.
Whatever you do you need to keep as cool as you can and as hydrated as you can. Using air-conditioned gyms and studios is a great way to stay active in a safe environment. Here at ADCC we have both mixed and ladies-only gyms and five in use studios; from yoga to indoor cycling, Zumba to core work. During Ramadan too the gyms are open until 1am.
So no matter the temperatures, you don’t need to vacate the emirate. Keep cool Abu Dhabi.
